By Gloria Ikibah
The European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has dismissed as fraudulent a document circulating online which claims that the EU and the World Bank are offering compensation to victims of alleged funds trapped in banks across West Africa.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, the delegation described the document as a scam and urged members of the public to ignore it. 
According to the EU, the fake document falsely claimed to have originated from the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union, Ms Thérèse Blanchet, and announced a non-existent EU-World Bank assisted recovery programme for people allegedly affected by fraudulent fund transfers in Africa.
The document also claimed that citizens from Europe and other countries whose legally transferred funds were trapped in banks and financial institutions across West Africa were eligible for compensation. It further alleged that the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS had been mandated to oversee the compensation process and encouraged potential beneficiaries to contact him.
Rejecting the claims, the delegation stated:
“This document in its entirety is a scam. The information and claims contained therein are false. The European Union is neither aware of any such bogus programme nor part of it.”
The delegation further disclosed that the contact details contained in the fraudulent document were fabricated by the perpetrators.
“The email addresses and phone number provided in the document as those of Ms Blanchet and Ambassador Mignot are fake, and obviously belong to the scammers.”
The EU urged members of the public to remain vigilant and avoid engaging with individuals behind the scheme.
“The Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS urges members of the public to disregard the fake information. The Delegation’s website and social media platforms remain the Delegation’s official channels of communication to the public”, the statement read.
The delegation advised anyone seeking information on EU programmes or activities to rely only on its verified communication channels, warning that fraudsters increasingly exploit the names of international organisations to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
